Hands-On New Halo: Reach Maps

Halo: Reach is less than a month away. Are you ready for it? Got your skills down? Polished up your collectible Master Chief helmet? Taken the remote control Warthog for a cruise around the living room a few times? Good. Then we're here to supplement your knowledge with some intel on two new Firefight maps that you'll be fighting the good fight on.

Microsoft revealed "Corvette," at Gamescom this week, which is the newest map to to be featured for the co-op Firefight mode, and they also had "Outpost" playable, which had previously only been seen in screenshots for North American press. We took a spin inside both of them, and here are some tips to help keep you alive. With so much of the game having been revealed already, are there still surprises in store? "Yes, we have a lot left for people to see when the game launches," said Bungie.net community lead Brian Jarrard.

Corvette

Level takes place in a giant hangar aboard a Covenant Corvette above Reach, where newly introduced Spirit dropships continually pass through via force fields and drop off foes for you to do battle with. Yes, including Wraiths.

It's circular, so be careful when running from point a to point be, because you might get flanked before you can blink.

One of the smallest Firefight maps.

Ordnance appears on the map from time to time.

Features the classic purple Covie look.

Best bet: head up the ramps and rain fire from above, while your buddies guard the way up. Stay alert for grenades and fuel rods, and take out tanks as soon as they appear. You can easily lend covering fire while friends pick up weapons and ammo. Keep the turrets for the later levels where things get really hairy.

Outpost

Trades the sleek purple Covenant lines for a dusty and desolate location in the middle of nowhere.

Hilly terrain means lots of cover ... and lots of places to toss a grenade over.

Massive Covenant gun huddles on the hillside overlooking the map.

Central building has a small but fairly defendable location if you cover all the entrances. Just watch out for grenades.

Ordnance spawns will force you out in the open.

One of the locations on this map is called "ONI Road," a nice little nod to another Bungie project.